They are all so different’: Autism requires variety of treatments

She looked through the door at their Richland Township home and saw her husband, Jim, staring, jaw agape, at their 4-year-old autistic son, James Jr.

“Did he just say …” Tina began. “Want some,” her husband confirmed.

It was not a surprise that young James would like some fruit that was being cut for dinner. But it was the first time James ever put two words together to express a thought.

“Tears were running down my cheeks,” Tina Dallape recalled.

James was about 18 months old and beginning to walk and say “mommy” “daddy” when suddenly all that stopped, his mother said. After a “battery of tests” the doctors confirmed James was “on the spectrum.”

Autism is defined as a spectrum disorder because it is a “range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior,” the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says on its website.

Brian Nagle, Alternative Community Resources Program director of autism services, says the spectrum includes everything from the nonverbal, severely disabled individuals with what he calls “classic autism” to the high-functioning, often highly intelligent individuals with Asperger syndrome.

“One thing that’s common is the impairment of social skills,” Nagle said. “They don’t know how to make friends. They don’t know ‘stranger danger.’

“That’s one of the things that affects kids, so that’s something that we focus on.”

ACRP’s program is based on applied behavior analysis, formerly called behavior modification.

“We start by looking at things that might cause the behavior and what we can change,” Nagle said.

The Dallapes keep a journal of James’ behavior and possible triggers, including diet and household routines, Tina Dallape said.

Verbal difficulty is often found with children on the autism spectrum.

Although James does not speak more than a few words, it’s clear he understands most of the language he hears. His parents see his frustration with communication.

“He wants to tell us something, but he can’t,” Tina Dallape said. “It’s almost like there are clouds going through his head and he can’t get out through the clouds.”

Sensory issues are also common. They may not be able to stand the feeling of certain fabrics against their skin, or may be disturbed by flashing lights or loud noises.

It’s as if they don’t know where their bodies are in space, occupational therapist Bess Wilfong said from Windber Medical Center.

“They feel everything twice as much,” Wilfong said.

ACRP and Windber Medical Center have special sensory-stimulating facilities to help children with autism find their way into their families’ world.

In the ACRP sensory room in its 317 Power St. location, there are flashing, multicolored lights, a sparkling tube lamp, mini-trampoline, swinging tent and a waterbed with a weighted cover and speakers underneath.

“Lie on it and you can feel the bass,” Nagle said.

Children can lie on the waterbed, hearing and feeling the music, and feel compressed by the weighted cover while watching a projected calliope of colors.

The idea is to immerse children in sensory stimulation.

Windber combines the sensory stimulation with occupational therapy, Wilfong said.

The hospital’s occupational therapy department has a ball-pit, swing and other stimulating equipment.

Hyper-stimulation may help offset the sensory issues, Wilfong said, using the uncomfortable material as an example.

“We address that through deep pressure,” she said, describing how therapists press the material against the child’s skin.

“We use a brushing protocol, and it helps desensitize the areas,” Wilfong said. “We almost change the neural pathways.”

The encouraging thing about autism therapy is that much of it is working. Families are seeing improvement.

“They are super rewarding children to work with,” said Dr. Aileen Oandasan at Conemaugh Counseling Center in Johnstown.

Other programs use horseback riding, pet therapy or food supplements to help children with autism, Nagle said.

“This works for some kids, but it may not work for others,” he said.

Which defines the challenge for health care professionals and parents of children on the autism scale.

“If you have dealt with one kid with autism, you can say you’ve dealt with one kid with autism,” Nagle said. “You can’t generalize. They are all so different.” Randy Griffith is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @photogriffer57.